Over the years, Pakistan's Imran Khan has been known for his anti-American rhetoric, once even suggesting he might, as prime minister, order the shooting down of U.S. drones targeting al-Qaida figures along the Pakistan-Afghan border.
Now that Khan is poised to become nuclear-armed Pakistan's leader, Washington will be watching closely for signs of whether he will follow a path of confrontation or continue with the conciliatory tone he struck in his election victory speech.
His attitude toward the United States and President Donald Trump — to whom Khan has often been compared as a populist shaking up the established political order — could determine the future of a crucial but fraught relationship.